1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detecting and controlling vibration in the drivetrain of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric vehicle's drivetrain can use a simpler transmission than a vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine. This ability to use a simpler transmission is due to an electric motor's ability to deliver the requisite torque over a wider speed range than an internal combustion engine. Therefore, a simpler transmission, such as a single-speed transmission, can be used.
Such a single-speed transmission may have backlash between its gears. Backlash is a small amount of travel of a driving gear before it meshes with a driven gear. Impact between the gears due to such backlash can introduce oscillation into the vehicle's drivetrain. The oscillation can be most pronounced when the vehicle is at rest with its driving wheels immobilized, such as with the vehicle's parking brake applied or with the driving wheels against a curb. The oscillation may be large enough to be felt by the driver of the vehicle and can thus cause dissatisfaction with the vehicle.
Therefore, a system and method which can reduce the low-vehicle-speed oscillation just described can provide advantages over the prior art.